SALE OF CONSUMER GOODS

Abstract

A dispensing device for consumables includes a housing, a drawer, a lid, a pin, and a tooth or peg. The housing may define a volume. The drawer defines a cavity and may be located within the volume. The lid may be lengthwise within the housing. The pin may be lockable to hold the lid in a closed position surrounding the volume. In response to a force exceeding a threshold force on the pin, the lid may move from the closed to an open position, exposing the volume. The tooth may be mechanically engaged with the pin, and in response to a force exceeding the threshold force on the pin, the tooth may move within the cavity in a direction that dispenses a unit of the consumable item out of the volume, with the lid in the open position.

Description

SALE OF CONSUMER GOODS CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of priority of United States Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 044,758, filed on June 26, 2020, the full content of which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Portable vending machines are frequently used to store and dispense chewing gum, candy, lozenges, and other similar items. These machines include a storage compartment that can hold multiple units of the product. Furthermore, these vending machines can protect the product from external elements such as temperature fluctuations, sunlight, and high / low humidity. Some types of vending devices require the user to handle the units of the consumer item. For example, some vending devices require the user to reach into a container where the units of the consumer item are stored, with each entry into the container presenting a potential risk of contamination. As another example, some vending devices require the user to turn the container upside down to move one or more units of the consumer item out. In such cases, it is typically difficult to control the number of units dispensed from the container. If too many units of the consumer item are dispensed, users typically return the excess units to the container.Here again, such manipulation of the consumer item units presents its own potential for contamination of the consumer item units in the container. Other types of devices include ratchet mechanisms for dispensing units of the consumer item. However, these mechanisms can be difficult to load, and in many cases, they make it hard to maintain hygienic dispensing practices. Furthermore, besides being noisy, ratchet mechanisms dispense units with inconsistent and unreliable force, which often varies depending on the number of units loaded into the dispenser. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect, a device for dispensing consumer goods may include a housing that defines a volume, a drawer placed in the volume, the drawer defining a cavity, a lid along the housing, a secure pin to hold the lid in a closed position surrounding the volume and, in response to a force exceeding a threshold force on the pin, the lid moves from the closed position to an open position, exposing the volume, and a tooth or stud mechanically coupled to the pin and, in response to the force exceeding the threshold force on the pin, the tooth moves in the cavity in a direction that directs a unit of the consumer good out of the volume, as the lid moves from the closed position to the open position. In certain implementations, at the threshold force, the force on the pin can be transferred to the tooth to steer the consumable unit out of the volume, as the lid moves from the closed position to the open position. In some implementations, with the lid in the closed position, the pin may be mechanically engaged with the lid, and the force on the pin is transmitted to the latch via compression of at least a portion of the lid. For example, the lid may include a first section and a second section; the lid is rotatable around a central axis between the first and second sections, and compression of the first section moves the second section away from the housing, defining an opening that exposes the volume. Alternatively, the first section may have a first length rotatable around the central axis, and the second section may have a second length rotatable around the central axis, with the first length being shorter than the second length. Additionally, the lid may be engaged with the drawer at least along the central axis.The tooth may, for example, be mechanically coupled to the pin via the cap, and the tooth moves around its central axis toward the opening in response to the pressure applied by the first section of the cap. As an example, the tooth may move into and out of the cavity by rotating around its central axis. In some cases, the device may also include a first spring attached to the lid, where the first spring moves the lid from the open to the closed position. The first spring could be, for example, a torsion spring that rotates around a central axis. In certain implementations, the housing may circumscribe the lid in the closed position. In some implementations, with the drawer freely positioned within the volume, the drawer may be in a tool-less coupling with the housing. For example, the tool-less coupling between the drawer and the housing may include an interference fit between the drawer and the housing. In certain implementations, the pin may include a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the pin is in the lid, the second portion is in the drawer, and the first and second portions are secured to each other to hold the lid in the closed position. As an example, the first and second portions of the pin may be secured to each other by magnetic coupling. In some implementations, the device may also include a slide and a rail. For example, the rail may be positioned within the drawer volume, the slide is supported on the rail, extending into the cavity, and the slide moves along the rail to travel along an elongated dimension of the cavity. As a more specific example, a portion of the drawer away from the lid may define an opening through which the slide moves into the drawer cavity. In some cases, the rail may be releasably secured to the housing within the drawer volume. In certain implementations, the device may also include a second spring mechanically coupled to the slide and the rail. This second spring can, for example, shift the slide's movement within the drawer cavity toward the lid. The second spring can be a spring with a constant force. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1A is a perspective view of a dispensing device including a lid and housing, with the lid shown in a closed position. Figure 1B is a side view of a cross-section of the dispensing device of Figure 1A, with the cross-section taken along line 1B-1B in Figure 1A and the dispensing device shown with a full complement of a plurality of units of the consumer item. Figure 1C is a perspective view of the vending device in Figure 1A shown with the lid in the open position. Figure 1D is a side view of a cross-section of the vending device of Figure 1C, with the cross-section taken along line 1C-1C in Figure 1C, and the vending device shown with a single unit of the consumer item. Figure 1E is a perspective view of a drawer of the vending device of Figure 1A, with the lid shown attached to the drawer. Figure 1F is a front view of the drawer and lid of Figure 3A. Figure 1G is a side view of the drawer and lid of Figure 3A. Figure 1H is a perspective view of the drawer and lid of Figure 3A, shown with a plurality of units of the consumer item loaded into the drawer. Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a force transfer, in the dispensing device of Figure 1A, from a pin to a tooth, as the pin is released at the threshold force. Figure 3 is a top perspective view of the vending device housing of Figure 1A, shown with a rail and slider placed in a volume defined by the housing. Similar reference symbols in the various drawings indicate similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The modalities will now be described more fully here later, with reference to the accompanying Figures, in which exemplary modalities are shown. The above can, however, be incorporated in many different ways and should not be interpreted as being limited to the exemplary modalities set forth in this document. All documents mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. References to singular items shall be understood to include plural items, and vice versa, unless explicitly stated otherwise or clarified from the text. Grammatical conjunctions are intended to express any and all disjunctive and conjunctive combinations of clauses, sentences, joint words, and the like, unless otherwise stated or clarified from the context. Thus, the term “or” shall generally be understood to mean “and” and the term “and” shall generally be understood to mean that ΜΛ / t / ZUZÓ / UU / όζυ means “and / or”. The presentation of value ranges in this document is not intended to be limiting. Instead, any and all values ​​falling within a range are referred to individually, unless otherwise stated herein, and each separate value within a range is incorporated into the specification as if presented individually herein. The words “around,” “approximately,” or similar terms, when accompanying a numerical value, should be interpreted as including some deviation, as would be appreciated by someone skilled in the art, from satisfactory operation for an intended purpose. The value ranges and / or numerical values ​​provided herein are examples only and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of the described modalities.The use of any and all examples or exemplary language (“for example,” “such as,” or the like) is intended simply to better illustrate the modalities and does not impose a limitation on the scope of these modalities. No language in the specification should be interpreted as indicating anything not claimed as essential to the practice of the modalities described. This description generally pertains to devices and methods for addressing problems associated with the dispensing units of consumer goods in portable vending devices. For example, the devices and methods described herein address problems associated with the hygienic dispensing of consumer goods, using techniques suitable for portability. Additionally, the devices and methods described herein address problems associated with the operability of convenient and consistent dispensing within a form factor suitable for portability and personal use, such as carrying in a pocket, handbag, backpack, and the like. As used herein, the term “consumer item unit” shall be understood to refer to any one or more of several different types of consumer items intended to be ingested (e.g., chewed, swallowed, dissolved, or a combination thereof) and having a discrete form factor. For example, consumer item units may include one or more candies, chewing gum, breath mints, lozenges, capsules, tablets, chewable preparations, dragees, mouth-dissolving microcapsules, orally disintegrating tablets, and so forth. Although consumer item units may include medications and / or nutritional supplements (e.g., vitamins, minerals, etc.).In some cases, it should be appreciated that the units of the consumer item may have any one or more of several different compositions, which may be suitable for, or desirable for, a particular user, group of users, or a party associated with a user. More generally, the units of the consumer item may be of any composition for consumption in the form of individual packaging, individual prepackaging, groups of prepackaged items, and / or mixed items. Furthermore, although the dispensing devices and methods described herein are described as being used to dispense units of the consumer item, it should be appreciated that this is for the sake of a clear and efficient description of various aspects of these dispensing devices and methods. Thus, unless otherwise specified or clarified by the context, the dispensing devices and methods... The devices described herein may be used to dispense any one or more of several different types of discrete units that are conveniently dispensed manually in controlled quantities, but are not intended for ingestion by the user. An example of such a discrete unit might include a pet treat, or in some cases, a discrete unit that is not intended for ingestion at all (e.g., hand sanitizer). As also used herein, the term “constant force spring” should be understood to include a coil of pre-tensioned strip of material that is in a coiled form when relaxed, and thus resists uncoiling. In this context, the modifier “constant force” is a technical term used to identify springs that include this type of coiled material that has an initial force starting from a finite value, rather than from zero. That is, the use of the term “constant force” to describe certain types of springs herein is a matter of nomenclature in the field of springs and does not necessarily imply or require a constant force throughout the spring's displacement.For example, unless otherwise specified or clarified by the context, it should be understood that the force exerted by the constant-force springs described herein can be approximately constant over the unwinding distances required to accommodate different quantities of the consumer item units in the dispensing devices described herein. It should be understood that variations in the force exerted by the constant-force springs over the distances associated with the dispensing devices described herein are negligible (e.g., imperceptible to a user) or, in any case, less than the variations in force that would be observed using other types of springs, such as coil springs and the like. Referring now to Figures 1A-1H, a device 100 for dispensing a plurality of units of the consumer item 101 may include a housing 102, a drawer 104, a lid 106, a pin 108, and a tooth 110. The drawer 104 defines a cavity 112 and may be positioned at least partially within a volume 114 defined by the housing 102. The lid 106 may be positioned along the housing 102 to provide selective access to one or more instances of the plurality of units of the consumer item 101. For example, the pin 108 may be secureable to hold the lid 106 in a closed position (Figures 1A and 1B) surrounding the volume 114 of the housing 102. As described in more detail below, in response to a force exceeding a threshold force on the pin 108, the lid 106 may move from the closed position closed (Figures 1A and 1B) to an open position (Figures 1C and 1D), exposing volume 114.Tooth 110 can be mechanically engaged with pin 108 such that, in response to a force exceeding the threshold force on pin 108, tooth 110 can move in cavity 112 in a direction that directs a single instance of the plurality of units of consumer item 101 out of volume 114, as lid 106 moves from the closed to the open position. For example, as described in more detail below, pin 108 and tooth 110 can be mechanically engaged with each other via lid 106, and the force of a user pressing on a portion of lid 106 can release pin 108 and tooth 110 through cavity 112, dispensing a single instance of the plurality of units of consumer item 101 out of volume 114, as lid 106 moves from the closed to the open position.As can be seen from this example, the mechanical coupling between pin 108 and tooth 110 can facilitate the opening of pin 108 and the dispensing of a single unit of the multiple units of consumer item 101 in response to a single force. This can be advantageous for one-handed operation of device 100, while still securely retaining the multiple units of consumer item 101 in device 100 between dispensing events. Thus, compared to dispensing devices that require separate movements to open and dispense items, the mechanical coupling between pin 108 and tooth 110 can reduce the amount of user handling required, which can, among other things, facilitate more hygienic dispensing. In general, the pin 108 can withstand small forces, such as those inadvertently applied to the device 100 between uses, while the device 100 is in a user's pocket or handbag. That is, the pin 108 can hold the lid 106 in the closed position, surrounding the volume 114 of the housing 102, until one or more forces characteristic of a deliberate actuation are applied to the lid 106. Alternatively, the pin 108 can be manually operated (e.g., without the use of a tool, wrench, or the like) to facilitate the dispensing of multiple units of the consumer item 101 at will, without the need for specialized equipment and with little or no specialized instruction.For the sake of clarity and efficiency, the force required to release pin 108 is generally discussed in terms of a scalar quantity, unless a different intention is stated or clarified from the context. That is, although force is a vector having both magnitude and direction, the discussion of the force required to release pin 108 generally assumes that a given force (or a component thereof) has an appropriate direction, making the discussion of scalar quantities appropriate. In certain implementations, referring now to Figures 1A-1D and Figure 2, pin 108 and tooth 110 can cooperate with each other to facilitate the efficient use of a single actuation force applied to the device 100. More specifically, at a threshold force 201 at which pin 108 is released, a force 202a on pin 108 can be transferred to tooth 110 as a force 202b, to move tooth 110 in cavity 112. For example, a single force applied to cap 106 can be transformed into force 202 on pin 108, until a threshold force is reached and pin 108 is released, at which point the force applied to cap 106 can be directed to tooth 110 as force 202b.As can be seen from this example, the transferability of force 202a on pin 108 to force 202b to move tooth 110 can facilitate one-handed operation of device 100, which is generally useful for convenience, and can promote hygienic operation through less handling. It should generally be appreciated that the variation of force 202a and force 202b over time in Figure 2 is an idealized example presented for the sake of clarity. Unless otherwise specified or clarified from the context, it should be understood that the temporal variation of force 202a and force 202b may vary according to one or more of several different conditions, such as mechanical inefficiencies that may exist and / or develop over time.Thus, more generally, it should be understood that an important feature of Figure 2 is the transfer of force supply, since pin 108 is released at threshold force 201, and that, in some cases, this transfer can be rapid, to the point of being perceived as instantaneous. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the terms rapid, instantaneous, or variations thereof, should be understood to refer to the transfer of force supply at threshold force 201 occurring within a period of time that begins immediately after the release of pin 108 at threshold force 201 and ends when cap 106 reaches a maximum displacement extension corresponding to the open position of cap 106. In some implementations, the cooperation between pin 108 and tooth 110 with respect to the transfer of forces may further, or instead, facilitate the forceful ejection of a single instance from the plurality of units of consumable item 101, thus reducing the need for a user to reach volume 114 to manually move a single instance from the plurality of units of consumable item 101. For example, the transfer of force 202b to tooth 110 may be rapid (e.g., instantaneous) after force 202a on pin 108 reaches the threshold force 201.That is, the force 202a directed at tooth 110 for coupling with a single instance of the plurality of consumer item 101 units can rise from zero (or nearly zero to the degree where there is some relative movement or "backlash" between the mounted parts) to a value just above the threshold force 201, in the form of a stepped function (or an approximation of a stepped function, again allowing relative movement or "backlash" between the mounted parts). Alternatively, the force 202b can accumulate above the threshold force 201, since the force continues to be directed at tooth 110 in the small amount of time required for the cap 106 to open sufficiently to define the opening 120, through which a single instance of the plurality of consumer item 101 units can pass.The net impact of one or both of these mechanisms is a rapid change in the force of tooth 110 on a single instance of the plurality of consumer item 101 units closest to the lid 106, so that this instance can be forcefully ejected away from volume 114 of housing 102 of device 100 and toward the user's hand or another receiver. Insofar as the dispensed instance of the plurality of consumer item 101 units is ejected away from volume 114, the receiver's hand need not come into contact with one or more instances of the plurality of consumer item 101 units remaining in cavity 112 of drawer 104. In turn, such reduced contact can reduce the likelihood of contamination of the plurality of consumer item 101 units remaining in cavity 112. In certain implementations, pin 108 may include a first portion 116 and a second portion 118. The first portion 116 of pin 108 may be in the lid 106, and the second portion 118 of pin 108 may be away from the lid 106, with the first and second portions 118 of pin 108 engaging with each other to hold the lid 106 in the closed position. For example, the second portion 118 of pin 108 may be along one or more portions of the device 100, which remain stationary throughout the dispensing of a single instance of the plurality of units of the consumer item 101, as it may be useful for reliably engaging and disengaging pin 108. Thus, as a more specific example, the second portion 118 of pin 108 may be located in the drawer 104. In some cases, the first portion 116 and the second portion 118 of pin 108 may be releasable from each other in response to force 202a (for example, a relative force between the first portion 116 and the MA / t / ZUZÓ / UU / όζυ second portion 118) which corresponds to the threshold force 201. As an example, the first portion 116 and the second portion 118 of pin 108 can be releasably secured to each other via a magnetic coupling. That is, the first portion 116 of pin 108 can include a first magnetic material, and the second portion 118 of pin 108 can include a second magnetic material. Continuing with this example, as the first portion 116 of pin 108 and the second portion 118 of pin 108 are brought into proximity to each other (for example, with the cap 106 almost in the closed position), the second portion 118 of pin 108 can be attracted to the first portion 116 of pin 108 via a magnetic force.Furthermore, this magnetic force can hold the second portion 118 and the first portion 116 of pin 108 in place relative to each other, so that the cap 106 can remain in the closed position and resist opening under inadvertent forces less than the magnetic force. Using a magnetic force to hold the first portion 116 and the second portion 118 of pin 108 in place relative to each other can be particularly advantageous for, among other things, achieving a rapid (e.g., instantaneous) transfer of the forces needed to eject a single instance of the plurality of consumer items discussed above. This is because magnetic force decreases significantly with distance, applying force to cap 106 to move the second portion 118 of pin 108 away from the first portion 116 of pin 108 can result in the rapid release of the second portion 118 from the first portion 116 of pin 108.After such rapid release of pin 108 at threshold force 201, the continuous application of force on cap 106 is transformed into force 202b on tooth 110, to encourage the ejection of a single instance from the plurality of units of consumer item 101 from the device 100. In some cases, a rapid release of pin 108 at threshold force 201 may result in a large change in the resistance of cap 106 to the applied force, so that the continuous application of force to cap 106 after the release of pin 108 may cause tooth 110 to move rapidly in cavity 112, to move a single instance from the plurality of units of consumer item 101 out of volume 114 of housing 102.The result may be a forceful ejection of a single item from the plurality of units of the consumer article 101 to facilitate easy and hygienic dispensing, since there is no need to pull the consumer article from the device 100. Furthermore, from the above example, it should generally be appreciated that forceful ejection according to the various different techniques described herein is achieved using only the energy of the user who directs a force to the lid 106, with such force being applicable through the one-handed operation of the device 100. Although the use of magnetic attraction between the first portion 116 and the second portion 118 of pin 108 has been described as having advantages with respect to being easily releaseable at the threshold force 201, it should be appreciated that such magnetic attraction may have additional or alternative advantages. For example, the magnetic attraction between the first portion 116 and the second portion 118 of pin 108 can generally be resistant to performance degradation over time, thus contributing to consistent performance of the device 100 over time in implementations where the device 100 is refillable for use over many cycles. Furthermore, or alternatively, the magnetic attraction between the first portion 116 and the second portion 118 of pin 108 can facilitate the securing of pin 108 to maintain the cover 106 in the closed position.That is, magnetic attraction can attract the first portion 116 and the second portion 118 of pin 108 towards each other after a single instance of the plurality of units of consumer item 101 is dispensed. Although the first portion 116 and the second portion 118 of pin 108 have been described as being freely coupled to each other by magnetic force, it should be appreciated that mechanical force may additionally or alternatively be used to secure the first and second portions 118 of pin 108 to each other. For example, the first portion 116 and the second portion 118 may have complementary features that are coupled to each other by an interference fit. In general, the lid 106 can be positioned along the housing 102 such that, in the closed position, the lid 106 surrounds the volume 114 of the housing 102, thereby collectively protecting the multiple units of the consumer item 101 within the volume 114 from contamination. This protection can be particularly important when the device 100 is carried in unhygienic environments between dispensing events. To further protect the multiple units of the consumer item 101, which can be easily crushed in some cases, one or both of the housing 102 or the lid 106 can be made of a rigid material suitable for withstanding the forces associated with typical use of the device 100.For example, housing 102 and cover 106 may be formed from a combination of any one or more of the following: aluminum, stainless steel, any other metal, plastic, fabric, wood, fiberglass, composite materials, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, or alternatively, although housing 102 and cover 106 may be formed from the same material in some cases, it should be understood that housing 102 and cover 106 may be formed from different materials, so that this may be useful in achieving cost objectives. Although the cover 106 can be directly attached to the housing 102 in some cases, it should be noted that the cover 106 can also be supported by one or more components located within the volume of the housing 102, resulting in an indirect connection between the cover 106 and the housing 102. This can be useful, for example, for replacing the cover 106 without necessarily replacing the housing 102, or vice versa. Furthermore, this can facilitate the positioning of the cover 106's pivoting mechanism within the defined volume 114 of the housing 102, thus protecting the pivoting mechanism from damage or contamination that could impair its performance.More generally, the housing 102 can enclose the lid 106 at least when the lid 106 is in the closed position, to reduce or eliminate the likelihood of environmental contaminants entering the volume 114 to interfere with the plurality of units of consumer item 101. In certain implementations, the force 202a on pin 108 can be transmitted to pin 108 via compression of at least a portion of cap 106. For example, the pin can be mechanically engaged with cap 106 when cap 106 is in the closed position, and compression of at least a portion of cap 106 can release pin 108. Compression of at least a portion of cap 106 to release pin 108 can be a particularly useful configuration, since such a movement is easily achieved by using the thumb to compress while the device 100 is held between the user's palm and fingers. Although the mechanical coupling between the cap 106 and the pin 108 can be direct (such as in cases where the first portion 116 of the pin is in the cap 106) to facilitate efficient force transfer, it will be appreciated that the mechanical coupling between the cap 106 and the pin 108 can be indirect in some cases.As an example, the lid 106 may include a first section 121 and a second section 122. The lid 106 may rotate about a central axis 123 between the first section 121 and the second section 122. For example, the lid 106 may be secured to the drawer 104, at least along the central axis 123, such as by means of a bolt 124 having a longitudinal dimension along the central axis 123. Continuing with this example, pressing the first section 121 of the lid 106 may move the second section 122 of the lid 106 away from the housing 102, to define the opening 120 that exposes volume 114 and provides an exit path for a single instance of the plurality of units of the consumer item 101.In certain cases, the first section 121 of the lid 106 can be pressed to a depth limited by one or more mechanical stops in the housing 102 and / or the drawer 104, which can be useful for providing the user with tactile feedback regarding the completion of a dispensing event. In such cases where the first section 121 and the second section 122 of the lid 106 are rotatable about a central axis 123, it will be appreciated that limiting the range of motion of the first section 121 also limits the range of motion of the second section 122 and thus the size of the opening 120 formed by the housing 102 and the lid 106 in the open position.To facilitate the formation of the opening 120 with a height sufficient to allow the passage of each instance of the plurality of units of the consumer article 101 while also maintaining a compact form factor of the device 100, the first section 121 and the second section 122 of the lid 106 can be asymmetrical about the central axis 123. More specifically, the first section 121 can have a first length 125 rotatable about the central axis 123, the second section can have a second length 126 rotatable about the central axis 123, and the first length 125 is shorter than the second length 126.Put another way, the asymmetry between the first section 121 and the second section 122 can provide a mechanical advantage, such that the compression of the first section 121 of the lid 106 to a maximum displacement amount raises the second section 122 of the lid 106 to form the opening 120 with a height greater than the maximum displacement amount of the first section 121 of the lid 106. In some cases, it may be useful to move lid 106 from the open to the closed position to reduce the likelihood that it may be inadvertently left in the open position. Alternatively, moving lid 106 from the open to the closed position may automatically reset it to dispense the next instance of the plurality of units of consumer item 101, since dispensing multiple instances of the plurality of units of consumer item 101 requires only pressing the first section 121 of lid 106 multiple times, with lid 106 returning to the closed position between each press, while the plurality of units of consumer item 101 moves into lid 106, as described in more detail below.Each return of lid 106 to the closed position may provide the user with tactile and / or audible feedback, indicating that device 100 is reset and ready to dispense the next instance of the plurality of units of consumer item 101 (assuming that at least one instance of the plurality of units of consumer item 101 remains in cavity 112 of drawer 104, as shown in Figure 1D). In cases where no more instances of the plurality of units of consumer item 101 remain in cavity 112, the next pressing of the first section 121 of lid 106 may result in no dispensing, thus providing the user with an indication that a refill is required. As an example, the device 100 may include a first spring 128 attached to the cap 106 to move the cap 106 from the open position to the closed position. The first spring 128 may be any one or more of several different types of springs, useful for providing a large amount of spring force in a small amount of space. As an example, the first spring 128 may be a torsion spring. Such a torsion spring, for instance, may be rotatable about the central axis 123 to resist the movement of the cap 106 from the closed position to the open-closed position when force is applied to the first section 121 of the cap 106. As the force on the first section 121 of the cap 106 is released, the torsion spring may rotate to a less tensioned position to move the cap 106 from the open position to the closed position.In cases where the pin 108 is loosely secured using a magnetic force, it will be seen that the closing force provided by the first spring 128 can increase the closing force resulting from the magnetic attraction between the first portion 116 and the second portion 118 of the pin 108. In general, tooth 110 can be mechanically coupled to pin 108 to facilitate the transfer of force from pin 108 to tooth 110, according to any one or more of the various techniques described herein. As used in this context, the mechanical coupling between pin 108 and tooth 110 can be direct or indirect, which may be useful for achieving a particular force profile. For example, in some cases, tooth 110 can be mechanically coupled to pin 108 via cap 106. More specifically, tooth 110 can be coupled to cap 106 and extend in a direction away from cap 106, while the first portion 116 of pin 108 rests on cap 106.Continuing with this example, the maximum extension of tooth 110 away from the cap 106 can be dimensioned according to the nominal width of the plurality of consumer item units 101, so that only a single instance of the consumer item units 101 is engageable by tooth 110 moving through the cavity 112. Thus, as the cap 106 rotates about the central axis 123 in response to the compression of the first section 121 of the cap 106, tooth 110 can move about the central axis 123, towards the opening 120, with at least a portion of such movement of tooth 110 being in the cavity 112, to engage a single instance of the plurality of consumer item units 101. For example, tooth 110 may be separated from the central axis 123, such that tooth 110 moves along an arced path centered about the central axis 123, to move a single instance of the plurality of consumer item units 101 out of the volume 114 of the housing 102, via the opening 120 defined by the housing 102 and the lid 106 in the open position. Although the movement of tooth 110 about the central axis 123 may be along an arced path, it will be appreciated that such an arced path is approximately linear over the short amount of displacement of tooth 110 in the cavity 112, so that almost all, if not all, of the force of tooth 110 on the single instance of the consumer item unit 101 is transformed into the ejection of the consumer item unit 101 out of the opening 120. In some implementations, tooth 110 may be outside the cavity 112 of the drawer 104 when the lid 106 is in the closed position. This can be useful, for example, to reduce the likelihood that tooth 110 could interfere with the movement of the plurality of units of consumable item 101 toward the lid 106, according to the techniques described in more detail below. In such implementations, tooth 110 can move into the cavity 112 by moving tooth 110 around the central axis 123 as the lid 106 moves from the closed to the open position. Similarly, tooth 110 can move out of the cavity 112 as the lid 106 moves from the open to the closed position. Furthermore, or instead, to facilitate the efficient transmission of force from the cap 106 to each of the plurality of consumer item units 101, in turn, the tooth 110 can be formed from a rigid material.As an example, tooth 110 and cap 106 can be formed from the same material, which can be useful for forming tooth 110 and cap 106 as an integral piece. In general, drawer 104 can be releasably secured to housing 102 to facilitate filling cavity 112 with multiple units of consumable item 101. For example, with drawer 104 releasably positioned in volume 114, it can be tool-less engaged with housing 102. As used herein, tool-less engagement includes any method or form of engagement that secures drawer 104 within volume 114 of housing 102 without the use of tools, relying solely on the user's hands. As can be readily seen, such a tool-less engagement between drawer 104 and housing 102 can facilitate filling cavity 112 with multiple units of consumable item 101 under a variety of conditions, without requiring access to tools.For example, the tool-less coupling between drawer 104 and housing 102 may include an interference fit between drawer 104 and housing 102, which may be useful to ensure the exact and repeatable alignment of tooth 110 with respect to cavity 112 and thus with respect to the plurality of units of consumable item 101 in cavity 112. Cavity 112 can generally be sized according to the nominal size of the plurality of units of consumer item 101 and the number of units of consumer item 101 to be transported in cavity 112. In particular, cavity 112 can be sized so that the plurality of units of consumer item 101 can each have the same orientation with respect to one another in cavity 112, to facilitate the repeatable and reliable dispensing of the plurality of units of consumer item 101. For example, the plurality of units of consumer item 101 can be stacked on top of one another in cavity 112. For example, cavity 112, defined by drawer 104, can be U-shaped to facilitate the simultaneous loading of the plurality of units of consumer item 101 into cavity 112, such as from a tray and / or a package. Furthermore, or alternatively, the drawer 104 can be formed to facilitate the movement of a plurality of units of consumer item 101 along a longitudinal dimension of the cavity 112 as the instances of the plurality of units of consumer item 101 are dispensed progressively. For example, the drawer 104 can define an opening 130 sized to facilitate the movement of a slide in and out of the cavity 112, as described in more detail below. In general, the housing 102 may have a form factor suitable for one-handed operation by a user. For example, the housing 102 may have a circumference that can be grasped between a user's palm and fingers, so that the thumb of the same hand can press the lid 106 to release a single unit from the plurality of consumer item 101, according to the various techniques described herein. A length of housing 102 may be selected to hold a useful number of units from the plurality of consumer item 101, while also fitting in standard pockets without interfering with the movement of the person carrying device 100. In certain cases, the housing 102 may include one or more rounded edges, as this may be useful in reducing the likelihood of discomfort when device 100 is carried in a user's pocket. Having described several aspects of dispensing multiple units of consumer item 101 from device 100, attention is now directed to describing the movement of multiple units of consumer item 101 within cavity 112 of drawer 104, to facilitate the dispensing of multiple instances of the plurality of units of consumer item 101, using only the repeated actuation of lid 106. That is, more specifically, the techniques for moving the plurality of units of consumer item 101 in the cavity to reliably and repeatedly position a single instance of the plurality of units of consumer item 101, relative to tooth 110 for the next dispensing event, will now be described. Referring now to Figures 1A-1H and Figure 3, the device 100 may include a slide 132 and a rail 134. The slide 132 may be supported on the rail 134, with the slide 132 extending into the cavity 112, and the slide 132 may be moved along the rail 134 to move the slide 132 along an elongated dimension of the cavity 112, such that the slide 132 pushes the plurality of units of the consumer item 101 toward the lid 106. Here, it shall be understood that the force of the slide 132 pushing the plurality of units of the consumer item 101 toward the lid 106 may be less than the threshold force 201 required to release the pin 108 and move the lid 106 from the closed position to the open position. That is, the force of pin 108, which holds lid 106 in the closed position, prevents the force of slide 132 from inadvertently pushing the plurality of units of consumer item 101 open lid 106.Although the movement of slide 132 along rail 134 can be achieved by manually actuating slide 132, such manual manipulation can make one-handed operation of device 100 difficult and, moreover, can produce varying amounts of force, leading to inconsistent dispensing. Thus, in some implementations, device 100 may also include a second spring 136 mechanically coupled to slide 132 and rail 134. In particular, the second spring 136 can shift the movement of slide 132, along the elongated dimension of cavity 112 of drawer 104, in a direction toward the lid 106. Such spring-driven movement of the plurality of units of consumer item 101 can, for example, reduce or eliminate the need for additional user manipulation to move the plurality of units of consumer item 101 between dispensing events. As an example, the second spring 136 may be a constant force spring. In this context, a “constant force spring” should be understood to include a coil of a pre-tensioned strip of a MA / t / ZUZÓ / UU / jzy material that is in a coiled form when relaxed, and thus resists uncoiling. In this context, the modifier “constant force” is a technical term used to identify springs that include this type of coiled material that has an initial force starting from a finite value, rather than from zero. That is, the use of the term “constant force” is a matter of nomenclature in the area of ​​springs, and does not necessarily imply or require a constant force throughout the spring's displacement. Continuing with this example, the second spring 136 can be wound in a relaxed state when the slide 132 is in a position closer to the lid 106 and in the tensioned positions when the slide 132 is in positions farther from the lid 106. However, given the nature of constant-force springs, the force exerted by the second spring 136, in cases where the second spring 136 is a constant-force spring, can be approximately constant over the unwinding distances required to accommodate the different quantities of the plurality of units of the consumer item 101 in the cavity 112 of the drawer 104.It should be understood that the variations in force exerted by the constant-force springs on the plurality of units of consumer item 101 on the elongated dimension of cavity 112 of drawer 104 are negligible (e.g., imperceptible to a user) or, in any case, less than the variations in force that would be observed using other types of springs, such as coil springs and the like. Thus, in cases where the second spring 136 is a constant-force spring, the second spring 136 can advantageously exert approximately the same amount of force on the plurality of units of consumer item 101, regardless of how many of the plurality of units of consumer item 101 remain in cavity 112 of drawer 104.Compression springs, in comparison, can fail through deformation and can apply varying amounts of force, since the number of units of the consumable item changes after each dispensing event. In contrast, the uniform application of force by the spring with constant force on the plurality of units of consumable item 101 can facilitate the uniform and consistent movement of the plurality of units of consumable item 101 along the cavity 112 in a direction toward the cap 106. Such uniform and consistent movement can, in turn, facilitate the repeatable placement of each individual instance of the plurality of units of consumable item 101 relative to the tooth 110, thus facilitating the robust repeatability of the ejection of the plurality of units of consumable item 101, even through a rapid sequence of dispensing events. Furthermore, or rather, because the constant-force spring exerts a force when returning from a tensioned to a coiled state, it will be appreciated that cases in which the second spring 136 is a constant-force spring can offer advantages with respect to noise. This can be a significant improvement over using a ratchet to move the plurality of consumer item 101 units progressively along the cavity 112 of the drawer 104. In general, rail 134 can be secured in place within volume 114 when device 100 is in use. Such secure placement is important, for example, to properly position slide 132 relative to the multiple units of consumer item 101 and to facilitate movement of slide 132, typically along the elongated dimension of cavity 112 in drawer 104. In some implementations, rail 134 may be glued, welded, fused, and / or otherwise attached to housing 102 in any desired manner. To facilitate cleaning of device 100, however, rail 134 may be securely attached to housing 102 within volume 114 of housing 102. For example, rail 134 may be secured to housing 102 via a press fit or other tool-less attachment. In certain implementations, rail 134 can limit the amount of displacement of slide 132 relative to cavity 112 of drawer 104. For example, rail 134 can stop the movement of slide 132 toward lid 106, at a distance away from tooth 110, so that slide 132 does not interfere with the movement of tooth 110, as the last instance of the plurality of units of consumer article 101 is dispensed from device 100. In general, the slider 132 can be sized to make contact with the lowest instance of the plurality of consumer item 101 units with a consistent and repeatable force. Thus, for example, the slider 132 can include a substantially flat surface that engages with the lowest instance of the plurality of consumer item 101 units to reduce the likelihood that a non-uniform force on the lowest instance of the plurality of consumer item 101 units could inadvertently damage or displace it from its intended path toward the cover 106. In certain implementations, slide 132 can slide along one or more grooves in the rail 134, so that slide 132 can move along the elongated dimension of cavity 112 to push the plurality of units of consumer item 101 toward the lid 106. Additionally or alternatively, slide 132 can move in and out of cavity 112 via the hole 130 defined by the drawer 104. For example, with a full complement of the plurality of units of consumer item 101 loaded into cavity 112, slide 132 can sit just outside cavity 112 until a first of the plurality of units of consumer item 101 is dispensed, and the second spring 136 moves slide 132 in a direction toward the lid 106, and thus into cavity 112.Such movement of the slider 132 into and out of the cavity 112 via the hole 130 defined by the drawer 104, can be particularly useful for loading the drawer 104 (with the full complement of the plurality of consumable items) into the volume of the housing 102, with the slider 132 positioned appropriately for the movement. Having described various aspects of device 100 and the methods for dispensing multiple units of consumer item 101 from device 100, attention is now turned to the methods for filling device 100 with multiple units of consumer item 101. That is, device 100 can advantageously be reusable, and once multiple units of consumer item 101 have been dispensed from device 100, the user can refill device 100 and continue using it to dispense multiple units of consumer item 101. Compared with vending devices that are sealed or otherwise intended for single use, using device 100 to dispense multiple units of consumer item 101 can result in less waste. To load the plurality of units of consumer item 101 into the device 100, a user can pull drawer 104 out of volume 114 of housing 102. Advantageously, in cases where lid 106 is attached to drawer 104, such removal of drawer 104 can be facilitated by grasping and pulling lid 106 away from housing 102, thus releasing the tool-free attachment between housing 102 and lid 106 and / or drawer 104. With drawer 104 removed from volume 114, the user can load the tray with the plurality of units of consumer item 101 (for example, as shown in Figure 1H), for example, with each of the plurality of units of the consumer item having the same orientation with respect to each other and with respect to drawer 104.As a specific example, a plurality of units of consumer item 101 can be packaged using a lined tray (e.g., paper wrap, plastic wrap, etc.), which is part of a disposable package for the plurality of units of the consumer item. The user can pull the liner tray out of the package and use it to load the plurality of units of consumer item 101 into drawer 104. Although the use of such a liner tray can be helpful for efficiently loading the plurality of units of consumer item 101, it will be appreciated that the plurality of units of consumer item 101 can be loaded into cavity 112 according to any one or more of the additional or alternative techniques, including manually. With the plurality of units of consumer item 101 loaded into drawer 104, hole 130 in drawer 104 can be aligned with slide 132, with slide 132 positioned in volume 114. With these components thus aligned, the user can slide drawer 104 in a direction toward slide 132 and into volume 114 of housing 102, thereby pushing slide 132 along rail 134 in the direction toward volume 114 of housing 102. In some implementations, rail 134 can restrict a travel distance of slide 306 in the direction toward volume 114 under the force of drawer 104. As drawer 104 moves into volume 114, it can be loosely secured to the housing via a press fit or other tool-less coupling.With drawer 104 freely secured to housing 102, it will be seen that lid 106, secured to drawer 104, is thus positioned appropriately to surround volume 114 and the plurality of units of consumer item 101 within it. Lid 106 can then be operated to dispense the plurality of units of consumer item 101, as described herein. Although certain aspects of device 100 have been described, other aspects are possible in addition or alternatively. For example, device 100 may be sized to allow the dispensing of a predetermined number of units of consumer item 101. In addition, or instead, device 100 may be operable to dispense different sizes, shapes, numbers, etc., of units of consumer item 101. Furthermore, or instead, parts of device 100 may be manufactured from one or more of the following materials: aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, plastic, wood, carbon fiber, alloy, steel, fiber, composite materials, and / or any other suitable material, and / or any combination of materials. The method steps of the implementations described herein are intended to include any method suitable for carrying out such method steps, consistent with the patentability of the following claims, unless a different meaning is expressly provided or otherwise clarified from the context. Thus, for example, carrying out step X includes any method suitable for causing another party, such as a remote user, a remote processing resource (e.g., a server or ML / t / ZUZÓ / UU / ozu (cloud computer) or a machine, perform step X. Similarly, performing steps X, Y, and Z may include any method for directing or controlling any combination of such other individuals or resources to perform steps X, Y, and Z, to obtain the benefit of such steps. Thus, the method steps of the implementations described herein are intended to include any method suitable for causing one or more of five other parties or entities to perform the steps, consistent with the patentability of the following claims, unless a different meaning is expressly provided or otherwise made clear from the context. Such parties or entities need not be under the direction or control of any other party or entity, and need not be located within a particular jurisdiction. It will be appreciated that the methods and systems described above are presented by way of example and not as a limitation. Numerous variations, additions, omissions, and other modifications will be evident to someone with ordinary experience in the art. Furthermore, the order or presentation of the steps of the method in the preceding description and drawings is not intended to require this order of execution of the steps set forth, unless expressly required or otherwise clarified from the context. Thus, although particular modalities have been shown and described, it will be evident to those experienced in the art that various changes and modifications in form and details may be made to them without departing from the scope of the description.

Claims

1. A device for dispensing consumer goods, the device comprising: a housing defining a volume; a drawer positioned in the volume, the drawer defining a cavity; a lid along the housing; a lockable pin for holding the lid in a closed position surrounding the volume and, in response to a force exceeding a threshold force on the pin, the lid moves from the closed position to an open position, exposing the volume; and a tooth mechanically coupled to the pin and, in response to the force exceeding the threshold force on the pin, the tooth moves in the cavity in a direction that directs a unit of the consumer good out of the volume, as the lid moves from the closed position to the open position.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein, at the threshold force, the force on the pin is transferred to the tooth to direct the unit of the consumer article out of the volume, as the lid moves from the closed position to the open position.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein, with the lid in the closed position, the pin is mechanically engaged with the lid, and the force on the pin is transmissible to the pin via compression of at least a portion of the lid.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the lid includes a first section and a second section, the lid is rotatable about a central axis between the first section and the second section, and compression of the first section of the lid moves the second section of the lid away from the housing to define an opening that exposes the volume.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the first section has a first length rotatable about the central axis, the second section has a second length rotatable about the central axis, and the first length is less than the second length.

6. The device according to claim 4, wherein the lid is attached to the drawer at least along the central axis.

7. The device according to claim 4, wherein the tooth is mechanically coupled to the pin via the cap, and the tooth moves, around the central axis, towards the opening, in response to the compression of the first section of the cap.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the tooth moves in and out of the cavity via movement of the tooth around the central axis.

9. The device according to claim 4, further comprising a first spring coupled to the lid, wherein the first spring displaces the lid from the open position to the closed position.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the first spring is a torsion spring rotating about the central axis.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the housing circumscribes the lid in the closed position.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein, with the drawer freely positioned in the volume, the drawer is tool-free coupled with the housing.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the tool-less coupling between the drawer and the housing includes an interference fit between the drawer and the housing.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the pin includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the pin being in the lid, the second portion of the pin being in the drawer, and the first portion and the second portion being secured to each other to hold the lid in the closed position.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the pin are securely fastened to each other via magnetic coupling of the first portion and the second portion of the pin to each other.

16. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a slide and a rail, wherein the rail is placed in the volume, the slide is supported on the rail with the slide extending into the cavity, and the slide moves along the rail to move the slide along an elongated dimension of the cavity.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein a portion of the drawer away from the lid defines an opening, through which the slide moves into the drawer cavity.

18. The device according to claim 16, wherein the rail is freely secured to the housing within the housing volume.

19. The device according to claim 16, further comprising a second spring mechanically coupled to the slide and the rail, wherein the second spring displaces the movement of the slide, in the drawer cavity, towards the lid.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the second spring is a constant force spring.

Images